A planned protest by retired military personnel in Abuja has been suspended after the Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, assured the veterans that the Federal Government had begun moves to address their demands over pension adjustments and welfare. The decision came after representatives of the ex-servicemen met with officials of the Ministry of Defence at Ship […]
A planned protest by retired military personnel in Abuja has been suspended after the Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, assured the veterans that the Federal Government had begun moves to address their demands over pension adjustments and welfare.
The decision came after representatives of the ex-servicemen met with officials of the Ministry of Defence at Ship House, Abuja, where the government responded to their concerns.
Retired Colonel Innocent Azubike, one of the leaders of the protesters, said the authorities had accepted that the retirees’ demands were legitimate and had already initiated steps towards resolving them.
He disclosed that the government had begun the process of calculating the consequential allowance owed to the pensioners and making provision for its funding.
For the veterans, Azubike said, the development represented a successful outcome of their action, noting that the publicity generated by the planned protest had also pressured the authorities to respond quickly.
The retired personnel subsequently dispersed after receiving assurances from the government that their demands would be addressed.The Defence Minister, who was represented at the meeting by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Richard Pheelangwah, assured the ex-servicemen that their welfare, remuneration and pension concerns were receiving attention.
Musa, through a statement issued by ministry spokesman Henshaw Ogubike, said relevant military, pension and financial authorities were being engaged to find a fair and sustainable solution to the pension dispute.
He stressed that the government wanted any adjustment to veterans’ entitlements to be properly calculated, adequately funded and implemented in line with approved regulations and due process.
The minister also urged the retired personnel to remain calm and embrace dialogue while the government worked towards resolving the issues.
The development followed a tense buildup at the Ministry of Defence, where a heavy security presence had been deployed ahead of the planned protest.
Soldiers, police officers, immigration personnel and Vehicle Inspection Officers were reportedly stationed around the ministry, while two armoured personnel carriers and more than 15 security vehicles were deployed around roads leading to the venue.
The retired military personnel had intended to protest the alleged failure to implement consequential pension increases linked to salary adjustments granted to serving military personnel.
They insisted that while they supported improved salaries for serving soldiers, pensioners should also receive corresponding increases in their retirement benefits.
The retirees had also expressed concern that the latest salary increase announced for military personnel in August, and expected to take effect in September, allegedly did not make provision for pensioners.
Musa, in his response, recognised the sacrifices of retired military personnel and reiterated that their welfare remained important to the Federal Government.
He assured the veterans that the Ministry of Defence would maintain discussions with their representatives and provide updates as the government makes progress towards resolving their demands.